Governor Newsom Signs Legislation to Strengthen Policies Against Sex Discrimination & Sexual Harassment on College Campuses

SACRAMENTO, CA – This weekend Governor Gavin Newsom signed seven bills in the “A Call to Action” Legislative Package, to address and prevent sex discrimination and sexual harassment at California’s public higher education institutions.

These seven bills were the final bills of the “A Call to Action” Legislative Package awaiting the Governor’s signature. AB 2047 and AB 2048, authored by Assemblymember Mike Fong (D-Alhambra), Chair of the Assembly Higher Education Committee, were among the seven bills signed by Governor Newsom.

AB 2047 establishes a systemwide Office of Civil Rights to oversee policies at the California State University (CSU) and University of California (UC) as well as establish a campus-based Title IX office on each UC and CSU campus. AB 2048 requires the California Community Colleges (CCC) to submit a report to the Legislature by December 1, 2025, with recommendations on how CCC campuses can better prevent and address sexual harassment.

“As home to the largest and most diverse postsecondary education institutions in the nation, California continues to lead with the passage of legislation to ensure our institutions are a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment for all,” said Assemblymember Mike Fong. “I want to thank Governor Newsom and the authors of this legislative package for standing with our students, staff and faculty, by prioritizing policy to eliminate sex discrimination and sexual harassment from higher education.”

AB 2047 and AB 2048 will take effect on January 1, 2025.

The bills in the “A Call to Action” Legislative Package signed by the Governor are listed below:

Bills Signed by the Governor:

• AB 810 (Friedman): Requires all public higher education institutions to implement UC Davis’ policy to conduct employment verification checks to determine if an applicant for an athletic, academic or administrative position has any substantiated allegations of misconduct from their previous employer.

• AB 1790 (Connolly): Requires the CSU to implement recommendations from the State Audit by January 1, 2026 and submit additional reports on the CSU’s status in implementing the California State Auditor’s recommendations.

• AB 1905 (Addis): Places parameters around retreat rights, letters of recommendations, and settlements for employees who have a substantiated sexual harassment complaint.

• AB 2047 (Mike Fong): Requires the CSU and the UC to establish a systemwide office of Civil Rights to oversee and monitor the system’s efforts to prevent and address sex discrimination and sexual harassment on campus. Also requires each campus of the CSU and UC to establish a campus-based Title IX office to assist in addressing sexual harassment complaints that occur on campus.

• AB 2048 (Mike Fong): Requires the California Community College (CCC) office of the Chancellor, in consultation with stakeholders, to submit a report to the Legislature with recommendations to prevent and address sexual harassment on community college campuses, by December 1, 2025.

• AB 2326 (Alvarez): Requires the leadership of the CCC, CSU and UC to present to the Legislature on their efforts to address and prevent discrimination on campus, and clarifies the entities who are responsible for ensuring campus programs are free from discrimination.

• AB 2407 (Hart): Requires the California State Auditor to conduct an audit every three years to examine the CSU and UC’s ability to address and prevent sexual harassment on campus. The California State Auditor will also conduct an audit every five years to examine the CCC’s ability to address and prevent sexual harassment on campus.

• AB 2608 (Gabriel): Requires campuses to include drug-facilitated sexual assault prevention training to their sexual harassment training.

• AB 2987 (Ortega): Mandates CCC and CSU, and requests UC campuses to provide timely updates on the outcomes of sex discrimination and sexual harassment cases to those involved.

• SB 1166 (Dodd): Establishes annual reporting requirements for the CCC and the CSU, while also requesting the UC to conduct an annual report on the outcomes of sexual harassment complaints filed with the each campus, and a summary of how each campus has worked to prevent sex discrimination.

• SB 1491 (Eggman): Establishes a notification process by which students who attend a private postsecondary education institutions are informed of their right to disclose discriminatory events to the US Department of Education even if their institution is exempt from Title IX.

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